Here's some Terry Tate info: Chattanoogan Mercer Involved In Hot Super Bowl Commercial posted January 27, 2003 Former Chattanoogan Jason Mercer was involved in the production of Reebok’s Terry Tate, Office Linebacker, one of the most-talked about ads that aired during Super Bowl XXXVII. He is a 31-year-old Baylor School graduate. The commercial also positions 27-year old writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber as a leader in advertising’s newest format, branded entertainment. Initially developed by Thurber as a digital video short film (of the same name in the fall of 2000), Terry Tate, Office Linebacker has become the cornerstone of a multi-million dollar worldwide advertising campaign for Boston, MA-based shoe and apparel company Reebok. In addition to the 60-second Super Bowl spot, the campaign includes 15-second teaser ads that ran on ESPN and MTV for the two weeks prior to the Super Bowl as well as a series of short films available exclusively at www.terrytate.reebok.com. “The minute I saw Terry Tate, Office Linebacker, I knew that it would be perfect for Reebok to use as part of their overall marketing strategy and would fit well with their NFL partnership, ” stated Peter Arnell, Chairman of Arnell Group. Reeboks’ branded entertainment campaign explores the daily grind of the world’s leading office linebacker. Working for fictional firm Felcher & Sons, self-styled efficiency expert Terry Tate brings discipline and order to a typically lackadaisical office environment. Following up his signature bone-crushing tackles of workplace rule-breakers with gridiron taunts, Terry keeps the peace at the Felcher & Sons office with an even-handed, tough love. The short film series, available exclusively at www.terrytate.reebok.com, shows Terry competing with new draft picks, struggling to relax on a long needed vacation, and takes a look back at his struggle in the early years before shattering all existing Office Athletics records. “When I first developed the Terry Tate character a few years ago, I had no idea how far it would go,” remembers Thurber. “I initially wrote the script to make my friends laugh and score some chicks.” After circulating through Hollywood and being accepted to the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, the original short film was acquired by Hypnotic, an entertainment production company and leader in developing branded entertainment for Fortune 500 brands. Shortly thereafter, Hypnotic approached NY-based agency Arnell Group and its’ client Reebok, who committed to the ambitious plan of developing a marketing campaign based on Thurber’s original short film and character. “Rawson Thurber is a very talented filmmaker and the Terry Tate, Office Linebacker property offers natural brand and product integration for Reebok”, stated David Bartis, CEO of Hypnotic. “The property is a success because both Reebok and Arnell Group worked with us to balance the entertainment values with the key brand messages, allowing Rawson to stay true to the character and story.” About Rawson Marshall Thurber Rawson Marshall Thurber was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York with a B.A. in English and Theater Arts and then went on to earn an MFA in producing from USC School of Cinema-Television’s Peter Stark Producing Program. Currently, Rawson is set to direct his first feature screenplay, the dodgeball comedy UNDERDOGS, with Ben Stiller and his production company, Red Hour Films. He is represented by the Paradigm Agency for feature film and television and for commercials by FM Rocks. About Arnell Group About Hypnotic Hypnotic is an entertainment production and distribution company that leverages its relationships with emerging filmmakers and leading brands to acquire, develop, produce, market and distribute both film and television properties as well as original branded entertainment. The company is also the production company of director, Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Swingers, Go). The company’s major investor’s include Vivendi Universal, Knowledge Universe, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Windsor Media and Entertainment Media Ventures. Hypnotic maintains offices in New York and Los Angeles and is a division of Enigma Media, Inc. Hypnotic’s website is www.hypnotic.com. Terry Tate, Office Linebacker Credits Terry Tate, Office Linebacker: The Mighty Rasta Ron Felcher, CEO: Michael Sean McGuinness Actors: Michael Cornaccia, Jordan Black, Jeremy Rowley, and Christian Duguay Writer: Rawson Marshall Thurber Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber Executive Producers: Dave Bartis and Doug Liman at Hypnotic Producers: Jason Mercer, Gary Bryman and Steven Hein at Hypnotic Editor: Jason Painter at Swietlik Editorial Cinematographer: Eric Haase
Lester Speight? Sure doesn't sound as tough as Terry Tate The 'unknown commercial star' Real name: Lester Speight. Home: Los Angeles. Born: Baltimore (would not say when). Size: 6'7", 320 lbs. Status: Single. Credits include: Films (13): Any Given Sunday, Meteor Man; TV (20): The Young and the Restless, NYPD Blue, Malcolm in the Middle Sports background: College football, All-American at Morgan State; pro football, USFL Baltimore Stars; pro wrestling in USA, Europe and Africa. Web site: www.MightyRasta.com Favorite film: Scarface. Favorite TV Show: Malcolm in the Middle. Favorite Terry Tate taunt: "You eat someone's cake again, and I'll feed you a slice of Terry's special pain cake. And you won't want seconds of that!" By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY NEW YORK — The Super Bowl of advertising is a place for big ideas and big personalities. Among the biggest in Sunday's game ads was "Terry Tate — Office Linebacker" for Reebok. In a 60-second spot, the 6-foot-7-inch, 320-pound linebacker is sent by Reebok to a fictional company, Felcher & Sons, to enforce such rules as a ban on long-distance calls. Tate's the avenging angel, streaking out of nowhere with an open-field tackle to take out an office mate goofing off with a game of computer solitaire. "You want to play games, Gene? Well, when it's game time, it's pain time!" exulted Terry over the cringing victim. The spot was created by Arnell Group, New York and Hypnotic, Los Angeles. The ad, starring actor Rasta, finished No. 6 in USA TODAY's exclusive 15th annual Ad Meter testing, beating out spots with the likes of Michael Jordan, Jackie Chan and the Osbournes. It was No. 2 with consumers in the key ages 18 to 45 and was the ad with the biggest differential in scoring for younger vs. older consumers. The 320-pounder takes a co-worker to task in the first of several new Reebok ads. Ad Meter scores come from a focus group, which is polled as the ads appear during the Super Bowl. In unscientific reader voting at USATODAY.com, the "Office Linebacker" ad is scoring much higher, alternating at No. 1 with the Anheuser-Busch Instant Replay ad. (Related: Vote for your favorite, and see latest results.) Rasta (real name Lester Speight) plays Tate as a combination of superhero, football player and wrestling star, all roles he's had at some point (see accompanying box), and he performs his own stunts. The 56 on Tate's jersey is for legendary former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. "He's a superhero," Rasta says. "When you're doing something you have no business doing, Terry will be there." Rasta knows hit Super Bowl commercials have been career drivers, but admits that for now, after the Super Bowl, "I'm the most famous unknown commercial star in Los Angeles." Micky Pant, chief marketing officer of the nation's No. 2 athletic gear company, says the ad is the start of a new chapter in its "sneaker wars" with rival Nike, which took a pass on Super Bowl ads for the fifth-consecutive year. Reebok's $4 million Super Bowl ad opens an estimated $15 million campaign that will build on the Tate character. Included is a series of four, four-minute Terry Tate films at Reebok.com. The site had more than 180,000 visitors, with 140,000 downloading the first film, by noon on Monday, according to Reebok. "His punishments far exceed the crimes, but everybody understands him," Pant says. Reebok has had no complaints about office violence, he added. In fact, the biggest knock on the ad in postgame analysis has been that it may be hard to tell it's for Reebok. A check of Ad Meter respondents after the game found 55% recalled it was a Reebok ad, but the next largest group, 38%, guessed McDonald's. And many wondered what product the ad was supposed to be selling. "The spot is confusing — but (Tate's) awesome," says Lee Kovel, chief creative officer of Kovel Fuller in Los Angeles. Reebok considers the ad an introduction and expects to clear up the confusion with TV spots starting this week that invite consumers to view Tate's Web exploits. Among the TV ads is one where Tate takes on the guy who scores the last cup of coffee and won't refill the pot, another shot at the solitaire player and punishment for a tardy accountant.
Here's an update on that Miller Lite CatFight: http://www.briansbelly.com/news/index.shtml#1044912746 Feb. 10, 2003 Pamela Anderson May Join 'Catfight' in Miller Sequel by Don Kaplan, NY Post. WHO are the women in that controversial - but oh-so riveting Miller Lite "catfight" commercial? If you guessed they were not librarians, you were right. The raven-haired wrestler - Kitana Baker - is also the co-star of a Playboy cable-TV, sex-advice show. Her blonde co-combatant is Tanya Ballinger, a model of the more traditional sort, it appears. Most recently, Kitana has been heating up the screen as the "'Net-Nymph" on Playboy TV's racy "Nightcalls 411." On the live call-in sex show, she gets naked and reads e-mails from viewers aloud. The Miller Lite commercial - which begins as an argument over lunch ("Less filling! vs. "Tastes great!") and turns into an angry, clothes-shredding, wrestling match between Baker and Ballinger in a fountain and then a cement-mixing trough - has been one of the most talked-about ads of the year. She and Ballinger are in talks to star in a sequel to the commercial, reports Playboy.com. Industry sources say that former Playboy pinup turned superstar, Pamela Anderson, is in talks to join the pair in the new spot.
